The Ottawa Redblacks re-signed defensive lineman Lorenzo Mauldin IV to a one-year contract extension through the 2024 season and signed offensive lineman Des Holmes and wide receiver Kalil Pimpleton on Tuesday.
Lorenzo Mauldin IV is six foot four and weighs 259 pounds. The 31-year-old from Sacramento, California, made 29 tackles, five sacks, and one forced fumble in 17 games for the Redblacks in 2023. The Redblacks signed Mauldin IV as a free agent on February 8, 2022. In 2022, Mauldin IV made 43 tackles, 17 sacks, and two forced fumbles in 18 games on his way to being named a CFL All-Star, and a winner of the CFL’s Most Outstanding Defensive Player Award.
Before Ottawa, the New York Jets drafted Mauldin in the third round (82nd pick) in the 2015 NFL Draft. Mauldin played two seasons with 33 tackles, 6.5 sacks, one interception, two pass breakups, one forced fumble, and one fumble recovery in 26 games.
After the Jets released him. Mauldin signed with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in 2019. Mauldin played two seasons in Hamilton with 25 tackles, four sacks, and one forced fumble in 17 games.
Collegiately, Mauldin played four seasons at Louisville (2011-14) with 114 tackles (77 solo, 37 assists), 33.5 tackles for loss, 21 sacks, eight pass breakups, and six forced fumbles in 47 games, of which 24 were starts for the Cardinals. In 2013, he was named Second-Team All-American Athletic Conference.
Des Holmes is six foot five and weighs 307 pounds. The 24-year-old from Norristown, Pennsylvania, attended Ottawa’s training camp in 2023.
Collegiately, Holmes played four seasons at Penn State (2018-21) playing left tackle in 21 games for the Nittany Lions. In 2020 against Indiana, he helped Penn State’s offense gain 488 yards, including 250 on the ground.
In addition, the Nittany Lions’ offense helped quarterback Sean Clifford throw for 238 yards and three touchdowns while rushing for a career-high 119 yards and a score. Then, he transferred to Arizona State in 2022 playing ten games at left tackle for the Sun Devils.
Kalil Pimpleton is five foot nine and weighs 172 pounds. The 25-year-old from Muskegon, Michigan, made four catches for 33 yards, and three carries for 21 yards in three preseason games for the New York Giants in 2023. The Giants signed Pimpleton as a free agent in 2022. Before New York, Pimpleton signed with the Detroit Lions as an undrafted free agent in 2022.
Collegiately, Pimpleton started as a redshirt Freshman at Virginia Tech in 2017. Then, he transferred to Central Michigan (2019-21) with 170 catches for 2,131 yards, 12 touchdowns, 39 carries for 299 yards, five touchdowns, completed 7 of 12 passes (58%) for 181 yards, one touchdown, two kick returns for 26 yards, 48 punt returns for 568 yards, two touchdowns, and three tackles (2 solo, 1 assist) in 33 games for the Chippewas. He was named First Team All-MAC and the MAC Special Teams Player of the Year in 2021.
